The Trick to Reality
by VenaHope
Summary: What happens when a girl maternal instincts of a lioness, get's de-aged and miraculously tossed into the Narutoverse? You get one angry lioness. Realistic. OC. Self Insert. Slight AU.


_**The Theory of the Multiverse. Or, rather, which, multiverse theory. I'm talking about the one about Fictional realities being real. It's a controversial subject, though I could see it happening. Humans can't quite, grasp, so to speak, the idea of infinity. It just goes on, and on and on. Different realities, different rules, different fundamental concepts of reality. Therefore, since we live in a universe of infinite possibilities, why would one of those possibilities be that a fictional universe could be real?**_

 _ **That is a scary thought, it would mean Batman, is real. Somebody like Light Yagami, is real. Thanos is real. Scary right? Consider the possibility, then consider what you perceive as reality. The reality is, we don't know what reality is.**_

 _ **Reality is a term used to describe things you see around and that you know can and have occurred in your life. Your reality is different from others. For instance, as an example, take the life of somebody from North Korea, as opposed to the reality of somebody in America.**_

 _ **Or you could take the reality of a somebody now, to somebody a thousand years ago. Back then, man could not fly, the idea of flying machines, or the concept of an Iphone would seem completely mythological. How would you even explain Wi-Fi? Or the internet? Or the fanfiction sight your currently reading this on?**_

 _ **Now, of course those things are real. You can see, touch, and hear them, right? So they exist. Fact.**_

 _ **But then does reality change and is it changeable?**_

 _ **Well... yes.  
**_

* * *

A girl shuffled her way down a dark alleyway, carefully looking around as she shuddered, pulling her jacket around her tighter.

It was inside out, because the girl couldn't certain if it was safe to wear it as it was. The Jacket being a cosplay replica of Naruto's Shippuden.

Just hours ago she's found herself de-aged and stuck in Konoha. Granted she'd only been de-aged to eight to ten year old, which made her wonder why whatever caused this bothered to de-age her, she found it distasteful to be forced to go through puberty once again.

The girl's name is Jen.

Now Jen swore to herself, that once she found out when she was, she wouldn't effect the story, she wouldn't get involved, no matter how much she wanted to. However, that's when she saw the cold, hungry boy, walking down the street, getting cold glares from the passersby.

She couldn't let this go, no matter how much she wanted to ignore him, she made eye contact with the blonde boy. He couldn't be older than eight, perhaps even younger. His stare never left hers as they both looked at each other. He was skinny, to skinny, his hair was uncombined, bags under his eyes. He was wearing pants that obviously didn't fit him properly, he might have grown out them, and he had a T-shirt on. No coat.

Without thinking, Jen hastily removed her jacket, the cold nipping at her shoulders as she approached the boy. "Hello... you look cold, kid." She said. He looked at her cautiously, his eyes suspicious, yet hopeful.

"Come on, take this." She said, tossing him the jacket. He caught it, looking it over before putting on, the sleeves to long for his hands. Much like it was now for her, Jen can only thank the heavens she wore a short dress before hand. He looked up at Jen, who smiled at him.

"Why?" He asked. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Because your cold.. and because it's the right thing to do." Jen responded. The boy teared up at that response, quickly whipping away any trace of tears.

"What's your name?" Asked Jen.

"N-Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto responded.

"Hello Naruto, my name is Jen, nice to meet you." The boys stomach growled, and Jen looked down at that. Naruto blushed in embarrassment. "Hungry?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Me too... Unfortunately, neither of us have any money. So, looks like we'll have to forage." Jen said, standing up. Naruto frowned. "Forage? Us?"

"Us, we're friends now, aren't we?" She asked. Naruto's widened before he hurriedly shook his head. "Yes! I mean I would like that!" He said excitedly.

* * *

After that, Jen asked Naruto if there were any rivers, ponds or streams nearby. Woods.. anything really. Naruto showed her to the further side of Konoha, the two of them hiking through the woods. "Ah ha! A pond, with fish it in..." Jen looked around for some kind of weapon, before finding a nicely pointy stick. Carefully she walked over to the pond, before jabbing at the water violently, trying to catch the fish. "Come on! Damn! Fish!" She yelled, and after several attempts, finally caught a fish.

"Ok... now.." She pulled out a knife, sitting the fish down. "Naruto, you might wanna look away."

"I'm fine!" The boy pipped in. Jen shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Before she cut into the fish. Naruto's enthusiastic grin turned into a sickened frown. Once she was done, Jen worked on getting a fire started, finally managing it after twenty minutes of non-stop cursing.

"You say a lot of bad words." Naruto commented, after failing to empty his stomach in the woods from the smell of dead fish.

Jen nodded. "Yes, well, when things get tough, I curse." She ran the fish through and hung it above the flames. "So, kid, what's your deal?" She asked Naruto. Who looked up at her, confused. "Huh?"

"Where are your parents?" She clarified. A saddened look appeared on the boys face. "I don't have any.." Jen nodded. Because at this point, she was alone as well. "Me neither." Naruto looked up. Jen sighed. "I lost them a not long ago. There gone." She said, feeling the empty pit in her stomach grow to nausea at the idea of never being able to return to her world. But it did comfort her to know they were not with her in this harsh Shinobi world, because they were safe back home.

She did miss them though.

"Oh.." Naruto said. "Hey, the fish looks done." Jen turned her attention to the fish, which was burning. "Crap!" She quickly took it off the stick. After cutting it between the two, and tasting it to see if it was 'OK' (In reality she was seeing if it was Ok to eat.) Before handing Naruto his share.

The fish did not exactly fill them. Especially not Naruto, so the the two of them set out to catch more fish.

After barely managing to get three more, the two decided to give it a rest, and just eat what they had, with Jen giving her share to Naruto, saying she was full after her second fish.

"Well... Naruto, where do you live?" Asked Jen. Naruto frowned. "The Orphanage, but the people there are mean! They always act so mean to me." He complained. "I'm not going back there." Jen sighed. "Naruto, you have to go back there-" It was then that Jen remembered that she was a kid again. Or ten... she really hasn't figured out her age. She had to live in the Orphanage as well, because she was also a child. "And I'm coming with you." She finished. Naruto blinked.

"Really?" Jen nodded. "Yep! I've got nowhere to go anyways. We can stick out for each other." Naruto beamed.

The two of them set off towards the Orphanage, finally arriving by nightfall. Jen knocked on the door after telling Naruto to sneak back into his room, because if there was a curfew the Orphan-keepers might get angry he was out so late.

"Hello? Excuse me?" Jen knocked on the door. The door was opened by an woman, who looked to be in her mid to late fifties. "Oh... what are you doing here? Where are your parents?" The woman asked. Jen looked down, faking sadness. "I don't have any.." She mumbled. The woman blinked, "We don't really have any rooms available for you at the moment, well except for that one, but you don't want to-"

"I'll take it ma'am, anything is better than the streets." The woman eyed her steadily before opening the door, letting her in. "What is your name, birthday and your current age?"

"My name is Jen... Midori, and my birthday is August 11. I'm nine years old." The woman nodded, scribbling something down, before leading Jen upstairs. "Your room is the last one to the right." She left quickly.

Jen walked down the hallway, opening the door to see Naruto, sitting on an old looking bed. "Hey Naruto, I get to room with you." Naruto beamed. She looked around. "They.. they make kids live here?" Naruto shook his head. "Only me." This room was small, and drafty, no kid should have to live here. "And how old are you Naruto?" Jen asked, worriedly.

"five." Jen felt her heart drop. A five-year-old... living like this.. unacceptable. She was going to have a few words with that woman, she's not gonna let somebody, or herself, live like this.

"Get some sleep, Naruto, tomorrow we're going to have a talk with the Orphan keepers about your living quarters, I don't care if I have to take it up with the Hokage, this is gonna change." She said furiously, laying back on the uncomfortable futon. Naruto blinked, not saying anything as he lay back, curling under the old wool blanket.

"Goodnight Naruto." Jen said, closing her eyes. Naruto looked at her, before responding with his own, "Night...Jen.."

* * *

Jen was livid.

Not only had the Orphan keeper called Naruto a filthy monster, but she had also called Jen bitch for associating with 'it'. Naruto was not an it, and the girl had to restrain herself from attempting to murder the old hag.

"That's it! We are going to talk to the Hokage!" Jen said furiously. Staying out of the plot be damned, she wasn't living like this. Grabbing Naruto's hand, she pulled the boy along, before realizing she didn't know where she was going.

"Uh.. Jen.. the Hokage Tower is this way. I've been there before, I see the Old Man all the time." Said Naruto. Jen scowled, remembering that the Hokage was probably aware of the awful living conditions.

The two of them wondered through the streets before arriving at the Hokage Tower.

"What is your business here?" One of the guards that seemed to pop out of nowhere asked the two kids.

Jen blinked, before looking up at the Shinobi, annoyed with his height, and her own lack of it. "I'm here to speak the Hokage regarding the horrendous living quarters of my friend Uzumaki Naruto, and myself. I kindly request an audience." Jen couldn't see the Anbu's face, but she suspect he wasn't expecting that response.

The Anbu lead them outside an office like place, before telling them to wait before entering the room. Jen and Naruto both strained to listen.

"There's a girl outside, with Uzumaki Naruto, she says she is "Here to speak with the Hokage regarding the horrendous living quarters of Uzumaki Naruto and myself, and that she kindly requests an audience."

"How old is this girl?" The Hokage's voice was unmistakable.

"She appears to be slightly older than the Uzumaki."

There was a momentary pause.

"Send her and Naruto in." Jen gulped, jumping back from the door. Perhaps maybe she overdid it? The Anbu led them enter.

"Hey Old Man! I made a friend! This is Jen!" I nodded. "Hello.. Hokage-Sama." The Hokage looked over to me something akin to amusement in his eyes.

"Hello Jen, nice to meet a friend of Naruto's." Naruto beamed, before looking over at me. "Jen stood up for me at the Orphanage. Now she wants to talk to you." I felt my nervousness rise, but held my ground. I wasn't gonna back out of this.

"Yes?" The Hokage looked over at me. "Hokage-Sama.. the conditions Naruto is living in are unacceptable, and really I'm surprised his health hasn't been effect by this, that, and the treatment of him by the Orphan-keepers is practically inhumane. He's five! He shouldn't be living like that! When I meant him on the streets he was starving and we had to fish around in a pond at the back-end of the village just to get a bite to eat! He's a child!" The girl exclaimed, gesturing to the boy. "Why is he not being taken care of? He tells me his visits you regularly, yet you seem fine with the fact that he's clearly being mistreated? Surely as Hokage you would have noticed this by now!" Jen paused before collecting herself, brushing back a piece of her hair, and calming down. "Hokage-Sama.."

The Hokage sighed, looking at the young girl. "And what of you? Your barely older than he is, yet you act like an adult." The Hokage pointed out. Jen glared at him. "I act like an adult because I have to do so in order to survive."

"Where are you from? Who were your parents?" The Hokage pressed. Jen closed her mouth, clenching her fists. "Gone. I'm from nowhere." She glanced at Naruto, who stared at her with wide eyes. The Hokage followed her gaze before telling Naruto that the Anbu will take him to eat at Ichirakus, and after some encouragement from Jen, he left.

Jen POV.

"Who are you?" The aura in the room changed, and I tensed. This was an interrogation, I expected this. "My name is Jen. I'm the daughter of an herbalist from the west, we were traveling to Konoha start a new life, I made it, she didn't." Half truths are the closest thing I can tell him.

"How did you enter Konoha without being spotted?"

"I don't know... I just woke up on the streets here." I told him honestly as the Hokage eyed me suspiciously. I felt KI leak out and my entire body went stift as a board as the Hokage said threateningly. "If you're intentions are to in anyway harm the village.." He said warningly, and I croaked out a response.

"I am indifferent towards the village at the moment, Hokage-Sama, I was told great things about Konoha, about the village that was supposed to be good, yet when I arrive here and see a small boy hated for seemingly just existing, I can't help but feel upset about the way Naruto, my friend, is being treated, and I won't stand for anyone hurting my friends." I told him, my maternal instincts taking over, and my loyalty to Naruto as my friend shining through my eyes as I stared up at the Hokage.

The Hokage sat down. "At the moment... you do not seem to pose a threat, however, it would be best Jen, for you to watch your step." He warned. I nodded. "I don't wish the village harm, I'm just upset my friend is being hurt.. now about the living conditions, do you intend to do anything?" I asked, still wanting to change the matter. If he thinks a little KI and some threats will sway me, he's wrong.

The Hokage looked at me, before letting out another puff of smoke. "Naruto is five, he cannot afford his own apartment until he goes to the Academy."

"What age do you have to be to enter the Academy?" I asked him. "Eight."

"I'm nine. I could enter, then I could live on my own, and Naruto could stay with me until he's able to go to the Academy as well." The Hokage raised his eyebrows. "You want to enter the Academy and apply for custody over Naruto?"

"If it get's him into a better living space, then yes, that's exactly what I want to do."

"That will not be easy, and what if I were to refuse?" The Hokage asked.

"Then I would expect you to still do something about Naruto's living conditions, and also to clarify, which of those two things were you referring to? I assumed it was about applying for custody over Naruto, or was it both?" I shot back.

"A nine year old girl cannot claim custody over a five year old boy." The Hokage said I opened my mouth to retort when the Hokage held up a hand.

"I did not finish, a nine year old _civilian_ cannot claim custody over a five year old boy, nor can an Academy student. Only a Shinobi, a Chunnin, may to that." I frowning. "I.. how long would that take? I would have to graduate in a year, then somehow end up Chunnin, what, a few months after graduation? What would be happening to Naruto during this time? I-"

The Hokage silenced me with another raised hand. "Naruto may live with you, should you choose to join the Academy, once you are Chunnin, you may apply for guardian ship if you wish."

This left me stunned. How.. I.. I have do to it. I need to do it. This was the only way I can get out of this life, the only way to get Naruto a better life, or at least better housing.

"I.. I'll do it." I decided, looking at the Hokage. "Sign me up! I'll do whatever it takes."

* * *

 **First Chapter Complete. Yes, I'm publishing ANOTHER Naruto story, don't worry lovelies, I won't forget the others.**

 **I'd like to try out a little something different this time. A more realistic take, I suppose.**


End file.
